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EthosProjectsDownloadsPersonnelVacanciesNewsLinksContactsNews December 2006 Digital TV December 2006 Two New Contracts for CEDS The first is to develop a training framework to ensure that front line transport staff are provided with consistent and effective awareness of the needs of the travelling public presenting a wide range of disabilities. This is a major two year project involving experts in the fields of accessibility, disability, ergonomics, psychology and training. Throughout the project we will need to engage with users of buses, coaches, taxis, trains, trams and the like so if you have any strong opinions on the subject please e-mail Sue Swain our Project Liaison Officer at ss@ceds-rearch.org. The second project is to provide
Scientific and Technical Support via a Framework Agreement to the
Department for Transport’s
Mobility and Inclusion Unit on a supply and demand basis. November 2006 New Guidelines Disability charity Leonard Cheshire co-ordinated the work, which drew on the expertise of policy makers, researchers and disabled people across EuropeEDAMAT (the European Disability Action Mainstream Assessment Tool) will be used to measure how far general policies, laws and programmes, in areas such as Transport, Health and Education, include the needs and rights of disabled people. It will help policy makers identify steps they must take to move further towards inclusion as well as enable disabled people's organisations (DPOs) to hold them to account. The EDAMAT framework enshrines 'Four Principles of Effective Mainstreaming': Engagement, Access, Resourcing, and Enforcement. It recognises that mainstreaming presents challenges to policy making and that 'one size does not fit all'. This means disability issues should be included in general policies, as well as tailored to specific needs. The launch in Brussels will bring together high level policy makers and national disability organisations from across Europe to discuss how EDAMAT can be put to work to make the EU community a more inclusive place. Richard Howitt MEP, President of the European Parliament's Disability Rights Intergroup says: "EDAMAT is vital in mainstreaming disability issues throughout Europe. The good work done by Leonard Cheshire will help ensure that disability rights are not a peripheral issue to be dealt with as an afterthought, but instead incorporated intrinsically into policies from the beginning and properly implemented throughout" Co-financed by the EU Commission and available in five languages, EDAMAT will be freely available to anyone involved in the development and monitoring of policy at European, national or local level. Project Administrator Annette Laidler of Leonard Cheshire's International department, says: "EDAMAT will ensure all policies contain an element of social inclusion. It will help ensure the needs of disabled people are not only included in policy but also implemented." The guidelines were developed over a two year period, during which disabled people, representatives of disability organisations, research academics and policy makers were consulted by a team of researchers in six EU countries: the UK, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Greece. Source: http://www.yourable.com
November 2006 Diva with a dream When Kerry McGregor first auditioned
for X Factor in Glasgow, all three judges liked her, and she
insists her impairment was "never
made into an issue". Instead, Kerry's mentor Sharon Osbourne
focused on her "great aura" and said that "her
eyes sparkled when she sang". Kerry used her chair initially
because it helped viewers get to know her, but insists that the
later decision to appear without her wheelchair "wasn't
about hiding it, because my disability is a part of me, it was
just about showing my talent and that there is more to me". However, Kerry did feel that sitting still during her performances contributed to Simon Cowell thinking of her as a "Hilton Bar Act". "Maybe if I'd been able to move around on the stage, he might have seen things differently. But I also took it as an underhand compliment. If Simon had been watching me in a hotel while eating his peanuts, I'd have seen that as quite a good achievement!" Although the stool did present a solution, it was not without its problems. On the Rod Stewart-themed night, Kerry was worried about losing her balance and falling off her stool into the surrounding flames and becoming "Barbecue Kerry"! She believes there were some pluses during the show to having an impairment, and confessesto having been "very spoiled" during the audition process at the Dorchester hotel, having been put in a suite with "a bathroom the size of my house!" Kerry
cites her best moment as making it through to the final 12. She
says Sharon Osbourne was "absolutely fantastic" as
a mentor, being "like a mum to us all and keeping us very
real "It just shows that ignorance is getting less in society and disability is being accepted in all shapes and forms. It shows society is taking steps forward," she says. Kerry's worst moment during her X Factor experience was being voted off by judge Louis Walsh, who said that he thought they had seen the best of her. "I had more to give and felt I hadn't even started. But the good part is people saying I gave them inspiration, seeing me on stage at a live show." Although her X Factor dream may be over, Kerry has much more she wants to achieve. Since leaving, she has spoken at lots of charity events, and is concentrating on being a mum to her 18 month old son, Joshua. She plans to perform at Leonard Cheshire's 60th anniversary celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall, and is still hoping for a record deal. "I've achieved some of my biggest dreams," she says, "and I'll keep going and hopefully achieve some more." Source:
http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk November 2006 Ryanair comes on Board The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) had been negotiating with the airline since receiving complaints from passengers earlier this year. It has been negotiating with several airlines over similar unfair terms since 2003. The OFT said Ryanair was "the last to come on board". The agreement also covers damage or delay to other mobility and medical equipment and compensation if passengers are not allowed to board a flight they have booked, and for delays or cancellations. The agreement was welcomed by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). Natalie Salmon, the DRC's head of access to services and transport, said: "It will give disabled people more confidence that if something does go wrong to their equipment they will be compensated, where in the past they have not been." She said the DRC had received complaints about all the budget airlines. "We are aware that disabled people have reported having their equipment damaged and they had to struggle and fight quite hard to get compensation." And she said the agreement could reduce damage to equipment, as airlines will have to pay for any damage. She said: "The one thing that motivates cheap airlines is money." New EU laws, which should stop airlines and airports from discriminating against disabled passengers, will come into force in April 2007 and April 2008. Bob Ross, who won a court case after Ryanair charged him to use a wheelchair, said the new agreement was "a step forward" which would take "some of the worry out of air travel". A Ryanair spokeswoman claimed the agreement would
not have much impact. "It would surprise me if you could find
many cases of people with damaged wheelchairs who had not been
compensated in the past." Source: http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk October 2006 A Survey of Occupied Wheelchairs and Scooters The report is now available
electronically from the DfT website at the following address:- October 2006 Community mental care 'lacking' This is because too much money has been spent on long term hospital stays and compulsory treatment, the think tank Reform says in its report. It is calling for
choice and competition to cut waiting times dramatically for
the "vast
majority". Similar concerns were raised by the Healthcare Commission in September. Its review of 174 mental health teams in England found gaps in out-of-hours care, talking therapies and access to information. The latest report, by Nick Bosanquet, Professor of Health Policy at Imperial College London and others, says choice and competition will allow an efficient redeployment of resources and enable patients to regain independence. Reform also said that the prescribing of modern drugs was insufficient. Between 1999-00 and 2003-04, spending on inpatient, outpatient and day patient services rose by £1.1bn. This compared to an increase of only £400m for community mental health and illness nursing, says the report.
October 2006 Choice Agenda Reform claims the postponement of the introduction of payment by results for mental health services has been a major setback. It recommends making much more use of direct payments for patients who are reaching the point of discharge, and rehabilitation and for those needing therapy in the community. Prof Bosanquet said: "Mental health services have been left out of the mainstream of NHS policy for too long. Modern thinking has not been applied to a key illness of modern society. "The application of the health reform principles will bring benefits to some of the most vulnerable of NHS patients. Unless mental health services use the reform incentives funding pressures will see community services further undermined." Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said: "We would welcome more choice in mental health. "However, one of the biggest barriers to creating choice in this sector is the shortage of specialist staff." He said developing a system of payment by results for mental health was a big challenge. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
October 2006 New telephone service to provide
disabled access information The new initiative, created for Arthritis Care members, is part of an ongoing relationship between the two organisations and recognises the fact that not all disabled people have access to the internet. It provides an alternative means of obtaining information that is vital to helping them gain access to services and facilities non-disabled people take for granted. Arthritis Care members can use the information line** in a manner similar to other directory services currently available. However, where the others provide little more than basic contact information, this new service can provide details on a wide range of access information, including facilities for:
(In total the new service can provide information on around 30 different types of access facility and searches can be prioritised by 17 of these.) The search engine and data behind the new service is provided by Direct Enquiries, the Nationwide Access Register, who currently provide an online access register at www.directenquiries.com, which is completely free to users. The phone service is open between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Arthritis Care members wishing to use the new telephone information service can obtain the number from Arthritis Care. Arthritis Care, Chief Executive, Neil Betteridge said: "This innovative new service should be of great benefit to all of our members, many of whom would like to use the service online but have been unable to because of their arthritis. By working with Direct Enquiries we have been able to offer a unique service that aims to make the lives of thousands of people easier by providing greater choice and the ability to plan ahead." Direct Enquiries, which receives over 1.3 million hits per month, contains listings for many high street brands as well as thousands of independent shops and public buildings. The site is also one of the UK’s leading providers of advice and information to businesses wishing to improve their access and contains a huge selection of articles, advice and free tools. Arthritis Care is the UK’s largest voluntary organisation working with and for people with arthritis, helping them to take control of their arthritis and their lives. For information about its full range of services visit www.arthritiscare.org.uk. *Whilst Direct Enquiries tries to provide truly comprehensive data, the list of registered companies is still growing. Where access information does not exist for a particular store, contact details can be provided and wherever possible local alternatives with suitable access will be provided **Calls to the information line will be charged at the National Rate Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
October 2006 New touch tube maps for the blind The maps of raised lines and Braille, which are read by touch, are of Old Street, Westminster and Earl's Court underground stations. As part of the pilot project, large print maps of the stations will also be available for partially-sighted people. Mayor Ken Livingstone said it would help visually impaired people to travel safely and with confidence. The maps
were produced by the RNIB with the help of 15 people with sight
impairments. The mayor said: "It is another positive step towards making London a truly accessible and inclusive city. "It is exactly this kind of initiative that will help blind and partially-sighted people to... get the most out of all that the city has to offer." Dr Sarah Morley Wilkins, of the RNIB, said assistance given by station staff to visually impaired people was still vital. "What we hope these maps will provide is added knowledge so that blind passengers can, for example, get from the platform or the entrance to the manual gate where staff will be available to help them, safely and with confidence." The free books are available from Transport for London (TfL) and the RNIB. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk
October 2006 Changing people's attitudes “There was a court reporter that had diabetes. It didn’t interfere with her job as long as she took regular breaks to eat. But a new supervisor banned the breaks and the reporter lost her job. You could argue that for seven years she had not had a disability and that it was the organisation that then disabled her.” There was also an accountant who developed multiple sclerosis and, because she could not use her keyboard, gave up work. It was then discovered that she could type if the keyboard was lowered to her lap . “No one had thought to make such a simple adjustment, but it meant she was off work for two years, while her employers lost her services for that time.” Susan founded the Employers’ Forum on Disability 20 years ago: “I started it at my kitchen table, with my husband paying the phone bills,” she recalls. Fifteen years ago, the charity was formally launched by the Prince of Wales, and today there are 30 members of staff, of whom a quarter have some kind of disability, plus 20 associates, who all have a disability. It has some 400 member companies, employing between them 22 per cent of the UK’s workforce; they include the BBC and Sainsbury. Susan, a Canadian, has been passionate about integrating people since she worked with a pack of blind Brownies. She believes it is everyone’s human right to work, but her approach is to engage, not impose. “I
think of us as a dating agency. We introduce people and walk
away. It’s important that disabled people and employers
get to understand each other’s universes. In short, we
are asking employers to take on people they have never met and
who they think can’t do the job anyway. They need to see
past the stereotypes and labels and treat people as individuals.” Susan adds: “I took a gamble but I looked beyond her age and saw her determination. I trust her completely. She always gets me to the right airport, at the right time, with the right papers, and it is not a problem for her if she spends all day setting up my itinerary for next Wednesday and then five minutes later it all collapses.” Victoria and Susan are often in the office by 7.30am. “If Susan isn’t at a working breakfast, we’ll go through the day together and identify what papers she needs,” says Victoria. “My phone goes constantly and my job is so busy that I have my own assistant. The workload is enormous but very interesting.” Victoria, who took a secretarial course at 16, joined as assistant to Susan’s then executive assistant. When he left, she took over in an acting role before applying for the job. Initially, she was nervous: “But it has opened up my world and changed my life,” she says. “It has given me confidence. I talk not only to ministers’ PAs but to ministers, too.” Victoria also says that the job has made her far more aware of the problems of others. While 17 per cent of the UK population are born with a disability, including visual or hearing impairment and learning difficulties, the incidence of disability rises sharply with age: a third of people between 50 and 65 have a disability. “We have an ageing workforce,” says Susan. “I had hoped by now to have shut up shop and say job done, but with age discrimination laws coming into force this month, there is still a long way to go.” But isn’t it illegal to discriminate against disabled people? “Yes it is, but employers are far more aware of the laws on gender and race discrimination. Many still don’t think that disabled people are treated unfairly. They’re inclined to think: ‘I didn’t treat you unfairly — God did’. Source: www.timesonline.co.uk/
September 2006 Deaf to 'hear' PA system on
phone Called LAMA, the service was originally conceived to improve communications for deaf people. Its designers hope that it will soon be in use in busy public places like airports, railway stations and hospitals. LAMA was developed at IBM's laboratory at Hursley in Hampshire. As someone enters a place where the LAMA - or Location Aware Messaging for Accessibility - system is running, it is recognised by their mobile phone which will then display a list of the services on offer. After a user has signed up for the service, public address announcements will be delivered to their handset in their chosen format. This would often be a text message, but could also be an image or a vibrating alert. The inspiration behind LAMA came from a profoundly deaf IBM employee who was concerned that he would not hear the fire alarm at the same time as his colleagues. "Although there's a flashing light over his desk, he wasn't necessarily at this desk," explained IBM's Andy Stanford-Clark, who has the title of master inventor. "He said if we could wire up the computer to the fire system and send a message through the IBM messaging system to his phone he could be alerted that way." The idea was then given to four students as part of the company's Extreme Blue research programme. Although the system was originally designed to help deaf people, it could be of benefit to people with other types of disabilities and to the population as a whole. Blind people for instance could have the messages delivered in audio form. Because the technology is able to determine someone's location, it can be used for guidance or orientation as well as delivering public service announcements and Dr Stanford-Clark thinks it could help people with dementia or learning difficulties who can become disorientated in new and busy environments. Instructions on how to find a particular shop in a large shopping centre could be sent as a list of text instructions or by sending a map to a person's mobile. Dr Stanford-Clark says a future version could light up signs to show someone the way to their chosen location. For LAMA to become universally available, he believes that more buildings will have to be fitted with "intelligent infrastructure" and smart phones will have to become the norm. Claire Leckey, a 22 year-old business studies student at Northumbria University , was one of the four people who have spent the past 12 weeks developing LAMA. She says the future business model is very much still under discussion. In the case of a railway station, IBM would have to come to an arrangement with a train company, but she doesn't rule out having end users pay for the service using a subscription with their mobile provider. "But if the system was made compulsory by government, it would be another model again," she said. IBM says that a train company has already expressed interest in LAMA, and that pilots could begin before the end of this year. Source: http://www.youreable.com/
September 2006 New recommend a friend incentive from Motability Simply pass
on the details of the Motability Scheme to a friend or relative
who is eligible for a Motability car, and both parties receive
a £25 cash thank you to spend as they
please. "The new incentive allows the best ambassadors of the Motability Scheme, existing customers, to receive recognition for their loyalty. There are many customers who promote the hassle-free benefits of the Motability Scheme, and from August 2006 these Motability champions will receive an automatic cash payment when their friend or relative receives a new Motability car." Existing customers can simply complete the Recommend a Friend online at www.motability.co.uk The voucher then needs to be passed to a friend or relative who might be interested in the Motability Scheme. In order to be eligible they need to have 12 months remaining of their award payment from the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance or receive the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement. The friend or relative then completes the rest of the Recommend a Friend voucher with their details. When applying for the Scheme and choosing a new car, the new customer hands the completed voucher to their Motability specialist at the car dealership, and on delivery of the new car, both parties automatically receive £25 each to spend as they wish. No extra questions and no hassle, just a simple thank you payment. Currently, Motability customers enjoy some of the best prices and the largest selection of cars ever available. With hundreds of cars at nil advance payment, and a further extensive range available at under £500 advance payment, there is no better time to choose a new Motability car. Key recent changes to the Motability Scheme include an online searchable price list, a £200 Good Condition Bonus for cars returned in good working order with no loss or damage claims, improved after sales service standards from Motability dealers around the UK, and the introduction of a simple, secure and speedy e-signature PIN process when collecting a new car. There are no waiting lists, no credit checks or further assessments required when choosing a car on the Motability Scheme. For more information about Motability and the Recommend A Friend incentive please call 0800 093 1000 or see www.motability.co.uk. Source: http://www.youreable.com/ .
August 2006 New Human Rights UN Convention
protects the rights of 650 million disabled people. The new Convention is based on existing human rights Treaties and their application to people with disabilities. Its aim is to guarantee an effective protection of disabled people and ensure that they can enjoy from the most basic human rights. The text prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of life and addresses access to the full range of human rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including through positive actions. For the European Disability Forum (EDF), the representative organisation of 50 million disabled people in Europe, the adoption of the Convention is a landmark step forward that will significantly reinforce the protection of millions disabled people against discrimination in the world. “This Convention will be vital in our long fight against daily discrimination of disabled people and sends a strong message to the world: disability is first and foremost, a Human rights issue”, declared Yannis Vardakastanis, EDF President. EDF has actively been involved in the development of this process, since a proposal was put forward in 2001 by Mexico. In particular, the European Disability Forum was involved in drafting first working text of the Convention and has regularly been part of the EU Member States delegations. Moreover, it has played a major role in facilitating the work of the International Disability Caucus, an alliance of organisations of people with disabilities and other allies active in the negotiations. It must be noticed that, for the first time in the UN history, the role of NGOs has been vital in elaborating the new Treaty leading to its very positive outcome. The new Convention pays particular attention to the situation of women with disabilities, as well as to the rights of children through both specific provisions, and a mainstreaming approach. It also includes a strong Treaty monitoring body, and an optional protocol on individual (or group) complaints and state enquiries, which will be open for signature and ratification by States concurrently. EDF welcomes the fact that, for the first time, the European Communities will be parties to a human rights Treaty, and therefore, will be scrutinised as the signatory States, as regards the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities. The European Disability Forum calls for a rapid adoption of the Convention by the UN General Assembly at its next session, opening in September. EDF also invites the EU member States, as well as candidate countries for accession, and the European Communities to agree on a rapid signature and ratification process. Finally, the European Disability Forum is confident that the European Union, which has played a proactive role to guarantee a high protection level of disabled people in the Convention, will continue to work towards an effective implementation of the Convention and will share a comprehensive approach in the future development of European non-discrimination legislation.
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